Milk bottle holder



Sept. 14, 1937. p HElNz 2,093,195

MILK BOTTLE HOLDER Filed April 25, 1937 INVENTOR. PETER HE/NZ BY I Patented Sept. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT ormer.

. 2,093,195 MILK BOTTLE HOLD-ER. Peter Heinz, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application April 23, 1937, Serial No. 138,580

7 Claims.

This inventon relates to milk bottle holders and in particular to devices of this type in which the milk after delivery is prevented from being stolen.

A particular object of the invention is to provide, in a door or wall facing the exterior of a building, a tray or the like which is arranged to receive the delivered bottles of milk, and which may be subsequently moved to a position inside the building by novel mounting means used in connection with such tray or shelf upon which the milk bottles are deposited.

A still further object of the invention is to pro vide in a wall or door, a swinging panel door which has hinged thereto a foldable tray which when the device not in use, can be maintained in position out of the way and which, when positioned for use permits the milkman to set bottles on the tray without using his hands to manipulate any of the parts of the device.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the novel features of the device which permit its being opened for use, and held in opened or bottle receiving position against accidental closure and further permits the weight of the bottles to posi tion the tray member so that the door carrying said tray may be swung closed by the foot to position the bottles inside the main door or wall to prevent theft.

In devices of this kind in which the milkman has to manipulate parts to lock bottles in place, it has been found that the milkman will neglect to place the bottles where they belong in the device or will not bother to manipulate parts because the delivery entails the carrying of a rack of milk bottles in one hand and several bottles in the other hand and when the milkman has to drop his rack or put down bottles at each stop, he loses time in delivery and it is therefore a feature of my invention to provide a device in which the milkman places the bottles with one hand and leaves the device to operate automatically to swing the bottles inside the door or wall of the dwelling where it cannot be stolen.

Changes and variations may be made in the construction shown and described without departing from the principles of the invention or sacrificing its chief advantages; hence such invention is not to be confined to the precise structure shown in the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the inside of a door of a dwelling in which, for convenience of illustration, my improved bottle holder is incorporated,

Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line,;2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in end elevation of a panel door on which a bottle tray -or plate is hingedly mounted, the tray being shown in two positions and also llustrating how the bottle can be used to force the tray to horizontal position,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the mounting of the tray or bottle plate on the panel door,

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary'view of the edge of the tray door and tray showing the relation of the tray in two positions to a detent member, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view-of the tray as illustrated in Figure 5 and the detent member.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 10 indicates a door of usual type providing access to a dwelling and made with lower panels H,in an opening 1-2, of one of which is provided a small door I3, hereinafter referred to as "the tray or plate door, and which is hinged as at hi to the panel adjacent said opening. The closed and open positions of door 13 is indicated in outline and full line respectively in Figure 2. While thedevice is disclosed in connection with a door, it can be mounted in any exterior dwelling wall.

One edge of the plate door is provided with a latch l5 and a stopstrip l5, while the hinges [4 are provided with coil springs H which tend to swing the'door closed and will'c'lose the door when the tray I9 is in horizontal position. The tray, plate or flap i9 is hinged as at l8 to the tray door l3. The tray is preferably made of metal and is semi-circular in shape. It is provided with an edge flange 20 to prevent the one or more bottles which can be placed on the tray from sliding off when the tray door closes after the bottles have been placed on said tray, the bottles being indicated by the numeral HA. The flange 20 is tapered or decreased in height at its ends as at 2| to permit the plate l9 or tray to flip up to the position shown in Figure 3 when no bottle is on the tray, the taper limiting the upward swing of the tray under influence of springs by contact with one side of the door l3. The plate is yieldably retained in raised or closed position by the springs 22 which are mounted on the hinges [8.

When the device is not in use, it assumes the position shown in Figure 3, the tray or plate l9 being in its "up position. When set for delivery of milk thereto, the latch I5 is operated to permit door l3 to swing out through opening l2. The door is prevented from swinging back under the influence of springs I! by a snap detent 23 mounted on the wall or panel H and with which the flange 20 contacts when the tray or plate I9 is in up position. When the tray is down or in horizontal bottle supporting position, the flange thereon clears the detent 23 and permits the door l3 to swing closed and be latched closed by latch I5. The detent 23 has an inner bevel 24, which permits passage of the plate I9 when the door swings outwardly, the plate or tray camming the detent out of the way.

In operation, for instance, at night the tray door I3 is unlatched andswung outwardly and is prevented -from swinging back in by, the detent 23. When the milkman pushes the traydow'n with the bottle as seen in Figure 3, said tray or plate Y tray can be engaged by a descending bottle and forced to horizontal position.

swing the door closed and latch it, with the result I9 will be in horizontal position and will clear the detent 23 and the springs I! on the door hinge will that the bottles will be inside the dwelling and the operation being automatic also, relieves the millr- 2 man of any necessity of using his hands to manipulate the parts of the device. The placing of the bottles on the tray permitsthe springs to close the door I3. It is evident that the door I3 can be made wider than shown to afford apartial covering for the opening I2 when the device is open or in set position. v

The hinge I8 may be provided with alip-25 which will prevent thetray from dropping lower than a horizontal position. Also the latch I5 will prevent the, doorl3 from being opened from the outside, andthe strip IE will provide a closing stop as well as Weather sealing strip.

My invention is not to be restricted to the precise details of. construction shown since various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is:

1. In a bottle holder, in combination, a door, a tray mounted on said door for supporting bottles, hinges connecting the tray to the doorwhereby said tray can assume a horizontal bottle supporting position, the door being swingable outwardly to receive bottles, and means for preventing the door from closing when the tray is empty.

2. In a bottle holder, in combination, a door mounted for horizontal hinged movement to open and closed positions, a spring for urging the door closed, a bottle tray mounted on said door for vertical hinging movement from horizontal to raised position, a spring for yieldably holding the tray in raised position, and a detent engageable by the tray when the latter is in raised position to prevent the door from closing.

3. In a bottle holder, in combination, a door mounted for horizontal hinging movement to an edge thereof away from the door whereby said 7 f1. In a ,bottle holder as set forth in claim 3 wherein said tray is arranged to pass said detent when, bottles are in the tray.

5. Inlabottle holder, in combination, as set forth in'claim 3 wherein the tray is provided with an upstanding flange, I Y

6. In a bottle holder, in combination, a door mounted for horizontal swinging movement to open and closed positions, a'spring for urging the door closed, abottle tray mounted on saiddoor for vertical swinging movement from horizontal .to raised position, a detent engageable by the tray when the latter is in raised position to prevent the door from closing, means for limiting the-upward swinging movement of the tray and holding an edgethereoi-away from the, door whereby said tray can be engaged by a descending bottle and forced to horizontal position, and saidtray being arranged to clear the detent when in horizontal position so that the door will automatically close when bottles are placed in the tray.

7. In a bottle holder, in combination, a door mounted for horizontal hinging movement to open and closed positions, a spring for urging the door closed, a bottle tray mounted on said door for vertical hinging movement from horizontal to raised position, a spring for yieldably holding the tray in raised position, a detent engageable by the tray when the latteris in raised position to prea vent. the-door-from ol0sing, and said tray being arranged to clear the detent when in horizontal position so that the doorwill automatically close when bottles are placed in the tray.

' PETER HEINZ. 

